Pastor Richard Wells

(605) 791-5591

1900 Evergreen Drive Rapid City, South Dakota 57702

for Christ

for the gospel

for the glory of God

Good for You

Written By:
Pastor Wells
- Published
Monday, March 05, 2018

Hear, my son, and accept my words,

that the years of your life may be many.

Proverbs 4:10

This proverb is literally true. Two British physicians, Alex Bunn and David Randall, examined some 1200 studies and 400 reviews on the relationship between faith and health. Conclusion? Faith is associated with “a number of positive health benefits, including protection from illness, coping with illness, and faster recovery from it.”

That same British study reported that faith enhances mental health as well as physical health. Drs. Bunn and Randall write, “religious investment is correlated with well-being, happiness and life satisfaction.” They cite a long list of benefits, from “purpose and meaning in life” and “marital stability and satisfaction” to “less delinquency” and “less anxiety.” Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes about the grievous evil of having wealth, possessions, and honor but without the God-given power to enjoy them (Eccl. 6.2). But here Solomon tells the other side of the story: God’s wisdom not only adds years to your life; it adds life to your years!

To be sure, godliness doesn’t guarantee longevity the way Goodyear guarantees tires. Life span varies from culture to culture, age to age, and family to family—and many factors play a role. But this proverb is a promise from God—that other things being equal, His way of life will always work for our good in real, tangible ways. Ways that science itself can prove.

Welcome to Christ Church. We don’t worship to get something from God—He is worthy of all praise (Ps. 145:3). But as we worship let us remember that All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. Psalm 25:10